The opposition Rwanda National Congress welcomes today’s (Thursday) opening of an inquest tomorrow the death of Colonel Patrick Karegeya at a Sandton hotel nearly five years ago.
The party insists Rwanda’s former spymaster was killed on orders from President Paul Kagame.
Rwanda National Congress executive member Etienne Murabazi says today’s hearing in the the Randburg Magistrates Court outside Johannesburg will determine whether the prosecution is ready to proceed.
It will decide on the date and venue for the inquest into the death of Colonel Patrick Karegeya.
Karegeya’s family and the Rwandan National Congress have expressed their gratitude to the South African authorities for the progress made in the pursuit of justice.
Murabazi says it is expected in any criminal trial with political overtones that there will be delays as the authorities try to avoid a hearing.
He says the RNC is certain Karegeya, who fled into exile in South Africa in 2007, was killed on orders from President Paul Kagame.
The denials from Kagame and his ministers are to be expected.
The killing at the luxurious Michalangelo Towers in Sandton marred bilateral relations between South Africa and Rwanda.
Then Justice Minister Jeff Radebe lashed out at foreign governments seeking to perpetrate criminal acts in South Africa
South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats alleged to have been connected to the killing on New Year’s eve in 2013.
Rwanda retaliated by expelling six South African diplomats in Kigali.